Image : http://www.flickr.com
Khufu (Cheops), the second king of the IVth Dynasty, was the son and successor of Sneferu by Queen Hetepheres I, daughter and heiress of King Huni (Hu), the last King of the IIIrd Dynasty. This Greek name Cheops is the one by which Khufu is popularly know today. According to the ancient records he reigned for 23 years. Concerning his character, the eminent Egyptian Egyptologist, Professor Ahmed Fakhry, states "Some of the classical authors wrote that Khufu was a great tyrant and was hated by his subjects; unfortunately, such ideas are still repeated. But ancient Egyptian history provides no such evidence at all to support these stories. Khufu's reign fostered Egyptian architecture and art. Had he really been an oppressive tyrant he could never have left the land in such a stable economic position. If the stories of the later authors had an element of truth it would have been impossible to preserve the cult of Khufu for so many centuries after his death. Monuments of Khufu date for several periods of Egyptian history down to Ptolemaic times, more than two thousand years after his death".
Pyramidographia or Pyramidography deals with the writings pertaining to the Pyramids. The earliest of these would be the plans for the construction of the Great Pyramid. These plans were delivered even before the first of all Pyramids began. They were given to Imhotep, the architect and vizier of King Zoser, the second King of the IIIrd Dynasty of Egyptian monarchs and were stated to have been "let down from Heaven", or, in present-day language "divinely inspired", which modern research has proved to be true.
The building of at least seven practice Pyramids--the Step Pyramid at Saqqara, the Bent Pyramid and the Northern Stone Pyramid both at Dahsur--and the Pyramidization of the Mastaba at Meidum all took place between the delivery of the plans for the Great Pyramid and its actual erection on the Giza Plateau. These practice or experimental Pyramids, in preparation for the building of the Great Pyramid, were the first Pyramids ever to be built. The Step Pyramid at Saqqara is thus the oldest large stone building existing in the World today--the World's oldest "skyscraper" still standing. The Great Pyramid was the 3rd geometrically true pyramid built.
No trace of the plans for the World's premier monument, the Great Pyramid, has ever been found however. The Hieroglyphic dating, with Khufu's cartouche, on the walls of the relieving compartments (sometimes called the Chambers of Construction) above the roof of the King's Chamber, identifies the time of the erection of the Great Pyramid with the reign of King Khufu (Cheops), of the IVth Dynasty of Egypt.
Michael Starkford is an independent researcher, historian, and writer who is a major contributor the ongoing work at Ken Klein Productions. http://www.kenkleinproductions.net
If you have not had a chance to view the Virtual Tour of the Great Pyramid or the "Prelude to the Pyramids" (30 min video) free at Ken Klein Productions, please visit the site today.
